Perceptions of 4-H by public school educators in Johnson County, Tennessee

The purpose of the study was to survey public school educators in Johnson County, Tennessee and determine their perception of 4-H. Included in the study is a comparison of the perceptions of 4-H by educators based on whether or not they had ever been a 4-H member or the parent of a 4-H member. The study also examines the relationship of the perception of 4-H by educators based on their years of experience in public school education, job assignment, and grade level taught.

A questionnaire was developed by the researcher to study these relationships. Data gathered for the study were analyzed using The University of Tennessee Computing Center IBM 3091 mainframe computer and the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) release 4.1. Descriptive statistics and appropriate inferential tests were used in the Analysis.

The study revealed no significant differences in the perceptions of 4-H by the educators in Johnson County based on the demographic characteristics used in the study. However, two open-ended questions were included in the study to determine the educators' perceptions as to why 4-H participation declines as students move from elementary school to middle school and on to high school. The educators' responses to these two questions were categorized into ten main ideas on why 4-H participation declines.